Food Storage on my mind...

I have been thinking about food storage lately.  I really need to start working harder at it, there is something about the cold of winter that makes me want to stay home and hibernate.  If I have everything I need, food wise, then I don't have to run to the store when it is  cold outside.

 We have been clipping coupons and really stocking up when we find good deals.  We even canned some this year.  We probably could have done a lot more.  I think I just need to stay more focused...I also need to clean out the food storage room...which has become a catch all.  We are working on storing both the basics, and the things we eat. ( and trying to combine the two categories)

I'll keep you updated with what we are storing...I will try and get the room cleaned out so I can take some more pictures.  Right now it is a mess   organized chaos.  Steve plans on making me a nifty rack that will rotate cans and always make sure we are using the oldest cans first.

Images of Winter...

Birthday's Galore!

Curtis had his 7th birthday! 

 

He got a snuggie, books and a magnet game. 

Maggie had her 9th birthday!

She absolutely loves her doll house.

We are now officially done with kids birthdays before Christmas.  Now with 15 days left we can concentrate on Christmas completely.  I really need to get shopping so we can have a few things under the tree.  I don't feel as stressed, although I probably should be.  Oh well I am glad I feel fine.  I basically know what I am going to get everyone so it is just a matter of "getting it"

Well that is all for now.  Probably won't write again until Christmas...I will however still be following along with everyone else's blogs.  I love to see what and how other people are celebrating the season. 

Have a MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Stuff that has been happening around here.

Jacob turned 14 this year.  I can't believe it!  That is a lot of candles on that cake.  He is looking so much older and truly isn't a little kid anymore.  Amazing.

It was also Maggie's 9th birthday this year.  Oh my.  This is her all dressed up for a family wedding.  She had a great time dancing the night away!

Doug being Doug...

Miss Lucy the dog.  This is the face everytime I am eating anything.  She is there looking at me...waiting for a bite to eat too.  You would think I would lose weight always having to share.

This last few weeks we traveled to Virginia for Thanksgiving and for early Christmas.  That was fun.  We got to see everyone and eat too much.  We have been celebrating birthdays.  Curt's is coming up soon.  We are still working on Christmas shopping.  The tree is up, the nativity is up and I am really not feeling like doing to much more decorating.  The kids seem satisfied and so why make myself crazy.  I am trying to clean out stuff...making donations to Goodwill...coats and things that we have grown out of.  Curt has his first talk at church on Sunday.  We still have to write that.  He will have to practice a lot.  He tends to mumble and get really quiet when he is nervous.  I hope he does fine.  Steve had me go to the store and buy primer for the basement walls.  I hope we can finish the basement soon.  That would be a great Christmas gift. 

Helping????

I was very stressed yesterday about all the things I had to accomplish that have deadlines.  Deadlines that are coming up very fast...things I am totally responsible for accomplishing.  I voiced my stress to Steve.  He said he would stay home and do the laundry and pick up the house.  Great!!!  That helps soooo much to take some of the stress away.  I love him so much but sometimes I don't know if I should laugh or cry ... He did the laundry....I think he may have left out a few steps.

                                                                     They are all clean.  uuuuggggghhhhh!

My exciting day.

Today I treated myself to all sorts of fun and wonderful things.  Let me just say that your attitude dictates how you feel about things.  Here is two stories of how my day went...

Version 1:
In the morning I had an appointment at the tooth spa.  It was lovely.  I read magazines and got to relax in a chair while people attended to me.  They thought I was so pretty they took pictures of me.  They loved my winning smile. Then I decided to treat myself to an elegant lunch.  I had fun chatting with a friend on the phone and making plans.  Then I decided to go shopping.  I was looking for something specific.  I couldn't find what I was looking for so I visited a few stores.  I enjoyed walking around and getting some exercise.  Then I got in the car for a nice ride home.  It was peaceful and lovely.

Version 2:
Had to go to the dentist.  Blah.  I hate waiting in the waiting room...so what if I was 1/2 hour early.  I read horrible magazines about marriage problems and how to lose 10 pounds in 10 days.  They are nice at my dentist, but they always bring up my wisdom teeth and how "they might need to come out"  Stressful!  They asked me if I was pregnant and then gave me xrays.  I hate those little wing things you have to bite down on. 
I took myself to McDonald's.  I usually eat in the car but decided to go in to eat.  The only place to sit was by someone who looked like a scary homeless man.  The other half of the McDonald's was full of 1st graders on a field trip.  I had to call my doctor's office to change my appointment.  Call,  busy. call, busy, call, busy, call, we are on lunch break until 1:00, call, busy, call...get through and change appointment.  They are sweet there too.  Then I went shopping and couldn't find anything I was looking for.  Annoying and time consuming.  Got in the car to drive home and got behind someone going 10 mph below the speed limit.  I am not a lead foot but I do like going the speed limit.  Made it home a half hour before the kids.

Attitude is everything...

Halloween Pictures

Doug as a skeleton...not too far of a stretch!

Curt wanted to be a mime.

Jacob...rock star

Maggie the witch!

Curt again.  I think I did pretty well with the makeup!

I wasn't jumping on the bed....

If you are going to fib...don't have photographical evidence...documented by another sibling.

On my way to the chicken coop...

These are some views on my way to the chicken coop.  The lovely crab apple tree in the front yard.

Beautiful trees with the leaves changing.

Eggs in the nesting boxes.

My favorite "girl"  She is always sitting in the window.  I think she really really wants to hatch something.

She is always puffed up and laying on the thermometer.  Maybe she thinks it is a big egg?

She is the sweetest and you can pick her up and pet her and love her and she doesn't care.

Here is how warm it is under her.  She always sits on the thermometer.  It is about 55 outside.  It is a warm 89 degrees under there.

Collecting eggs for the walk back.

Picture of the back door.  I love pumpkins in the fall.

Have a great day!

The Frugal Christmas

I am going to renew my efforts for the frugal Christmas.  Things have been getting tighter and tighter around here.  Car repairs, unexpected financial boo boo's, just plain ol ignoring things.  Steve and I both had surgery in the past 12 months.  We do have insurance but when the one bread winner isn't working it is tough.  So here we are again with Christmas approaching and a meager budget to work with this year. 

I am going to try and get over the guilt of the impending sighing of the children.  It will be ok.  It really really will.  The older boys lists are crazy anyway and even if I had all the money in the world I wouldn't get them smart phones, or $300 ipods or hand held ps3's (I don't even really know what that is?)  So who cares what they think.  I won't be able ever to get them their dream Christmas.  Sorry. (PS. they know I won't get them things like that anyway...but every kid can try right.  They aren't the bratty types but boy if we won the lotto they would totally love to have those things)

The smaller kids I will have more of a chance pleasing.  After all Curtis asked for an apple peeler for Christmas.  The kind that hooks to the counter top.  That is a frugal and practical 6 year old if I do say so myself.  Maggie would be pleased with books and little trinkets/stuffed animals.  ( I hope )

I am going to be doing thrift store searching for cool and unique gifts.  I also plan on some homemade gifts this year.  I have been searching the internet for ideas and the only criteria is so soo soooo simple, and cheap.  I am not a crafty person and I have very little patience for details.  Sorry but it is true.

Some ideas I might try:
Journal's covered in material with cool pen
Tea cups for Maggie's dolls
Stationary
Craft supplies (for future fun)
Nail polish kit (obivously for the girl)
Pretty / cool boxes for keepsakes
Soaps with little toys in them.
Lip balm
Sewing simple jammie bottoms or a few skirts for Maggie...

Oh by the way, I have to remember not to let them read this post.  Shhhhh don't tell.


I also want to plan more family time.  I AM NOT RUSHING THROUGH THE HOLIDAYS LIKE A CHICKEN WITH MY HEAD CUT OFF.

I hope to have some quiet bonding time with the kids and invite the Spirit into our home.

I know the Spirit of the Lord will fill in the gaps of the home made gifts, practical gifts and my frugal Christmas.  It always does.

Wishes...

I wish I had something exciting to write about.  I wish I had a funny story to tell.  I don't.  Tonight was fun, we went to the library for some books, and to the taco bell for dinner.  Maggie met a new friend at the library.  They talked like they have been friends for years.  Avid readers unite!  The girls went back and forth suggesting books they had read.  They ended up exchanging addresses so they could be pen pals and maybe make some library dates.  Where it goes from here nobody knows.

The boys are more anti social.  Oh well.  I didn't get the chance to get any books since I was trying to keep people together...and keep an eye on everyone.  Not that the library is a scary place or anything...I just like keeping track of my kids. 

Parent/teacher conferences are coming up soon.  I love going to Maggie's...straight A's!  I however get scared going to Curt's...I just never know...

The primary program is next Sunday.  I am a bit nervous about the whole thing.  I think it will be fine.  The kids are great and they have no fear about singing or speaking.  I love that about our church...everyone is so used to being in front of a large group. 

For some reason there is no school on Friday.  I haven't figured that one out yet. 

The older boys came home and said they watched some news show that they have on at school for school kids and they were talking about Christopher Columbus as being a terrible person because he brought plagues and slavery to America...uh ok...revising history is one of my biggest pet peeves, even if it is truth...that doesn't negate everything else he has done.  It makes me really hate public school.


What else? Hmmm. Let's see...we picked squash today to put away for winter.  We saw a bunch of moles living in the garden.  We need to put the garden to bed so to speak before it gets cold outside.  Steve saw a wooly bear with a big brown stripe in the middle...read on someones blog what that meant...I can't remember...now I have to go looking for that post.

Some wishes expressed at dinner...I wish we could go to Disney World.  I wish we could go to Cedar Point.  I wish we could go to Antartica.  I wish you named me Mark. 

Warm and Cozy at Home

Tonight is a warm and cozy night.  Well not real "warm" because I refuse to turn on the heat...but warm in my heart.  I love when the kids settle in and relax...fighting is at a minimum and we are all getting along.  Today we had soccer games.  The kids did well, but it was cold.  I was chilled to the bone.  Got home took a hot shower and the kids cuddled up with blankets to watch movies.  It gave me some time to clean up and take some pictures of some goodwill finds from this week.  My camera is giving me fits.  I have always loved the way it took pictures but now the little setting wheel has gone berzerk...it keeps changing settings in the middle of picture taking...so sometimes it does weird things...like take video when I have it on candlelight setting.  Maybe santa will bring me a new camera...oh and a toaster oven, and a new food processor...if any of you know santa will you pass that along?

Well here is some of the pictures from around the  house. 

I love to burn the oil lamps in the evening.

My cute chickens that I got at the good will.

I just love signs.

Love to have lots of library books  to look at and curl up with at night.

New lampshades from my mom.  Love them!!!!

Reminders of good friends...love this little statue.

cozy and warm evenings.